4 Things Americans Get Wrong About Mexico

I’ve taken four trips to Mexico in the last 18 months, which is the most travel I’ve ever done in Mexico.

That being said, I’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to exploring the country. I’ve been to every US state, all but one Canadian province and until recently I couldn’t even tell you how many Mexican states there were, let alone how many I’ve been to.

Like most Americans, I haven’t given Mexico the same degree of thought or attention as I had to other parts of the world. Due to differences in culture and language, many people in the US have serious misconceptions about Mexico even though we are next door neighbors (or perhaps because we are).

Here are four things Americans consistently get wrong about Mexico:

Mexico is Poor

It is true that Mexico isn’t as developed as the US, but in the greater family of nations Mexico would be considered a solid middle class country. Mexico ranks 59th in per capita GDP and is ranked only slightly below the top Latin American countries: Chile and Argentina. It rankes even higher in terms of life expectancy, even outranking many rich Gulf States.

Much of the American perception of Mexico comes from the fact that so many illegal immigrants come to the US from Mexico looking for work. These tend to be some of the poorest Mexicans, yet they are the only Mexicans most American actually see.

The migration trend has been reversing the last several years. 2011 marked the first time since the Great Depression that net Mexican migration to the US actually was negative. Raw numbers are now at their lowest level since the 1950s. This is a combination of the weak US economy combined with rising living standards in Mexico.

A recent Mexican census found 3 million more Mexicans than was predicted, mostly due to migrants returning to Mexico from the US.

Mexicans Are A Race

I was watching a street performer in Venice Beach last year and while he was talking to the crowd he asked for people of all races to clap their hands: “White people. Black people. Asian people. Mexicans. Everybody clap your hands!”

Leaving aside the issue of lumping all Asians together, the street performer was wrong to think that “Mexicans” were a race of people.

What most Americans think of as “Mexicans” are actually indigenous peoples. One of the biggest demographic differences between British and Spanish colonies in North America is that the Spanish didn’t kill as many of the aboriginal inhabitants. Approximately 10% of the population of Mexico is of aboriginal ancestry vs. 1.2% in the United States.

Mexico is a multiethnic country. I’ve personally met Mexicans with ancestry from Germany, Spain, Hungary, and Russia. There are Chinese and Indians in Mexico too.

Just to give you can idea how wrong our ideas can be about who is and who isn’t Mexican, check out this video of comedians George Lopez and Louis CK. Jump to the 5:30 mark where they are both on the couch talking.

George Lopez is an American born California. Louis CK (aka the white guy) is a Mexican citizen who spoke Spanish as his first languge.

I kid you not.

Mexico is Dangerous

There has been a lot in the news recently about drug violence in Mexico. Indeed some of the stories are absolutely horrifying and they usually involve severed heads.

I’m not going to tell you that every part of Mexico is safe. However, that same logic also applies to the United States. There are parts of the US I wouldn’t encourage people to visit.

Mexico is a pretty big country and as I indicated above it is a very diverse country.

One of the problems I have discussed earlier about traveling to dangerous places is that we tend to lump together every place we are not familiar with. If you don’t know anything about Mexico, then when you hear about something bad happening in “Mexico” your mind will lump everything in Mexico together.

The problem is, all of Mexico isn’t dangerous. Most of the violence from drug gangs has occurred in only 5 Mexican states. There are many places in Mexico, especially in the south, which are very safe.

Comparing crime rates in Nuevo Loredo and Playa del Carmen is like comparing crime in Detroit and Des Moines.

They might be in the same country, but they are totally different places.

Mexicans are Taking Over the United States

This is the same charge which has been leveled against the Irish, Italians and other groups which have immigrated to the US. Mexicans are really no different and are following a similar pattern: the first generation are not fluent in English. The second generation are usually bilingual but more culturally American. The third generation usually has a hard time speaking to grandma and grandpa.

For the most part, Mexicans who have stayed in the US have actually followed the same script as previous ethnic groups. The only difference is that because Mexico borders the US, there is a large groups of people who go back and aren’t seeking permanent residence.

Unlike the early immigrants who came to the US with a one-way boat ticket, many Mexican laborers can go home once or twice a year in a car.

Also, as I noted above, immigration to the US is actually turning around and net migration is now actually negative.

American get freaked out over ATM machines offering Spanish as an option, and think that everyone in the US is going to be speaking Spanish in 20 years. However, they totally ignore the much larger influence which the US has on Mexico. There is a much higher percentage of Mexicans who speak English than there are American who speak Spanish, especially if you don’t consider 1st or 2nd generation Americans of Mexican heritage.

Given how quickly English is spreading around the world, the idea that the US will be come a Spanish speaking country is ludicrous.

Mexico is America’s neighbor. It always has been and always will be.

It would behoove most Americans to try and understand our neighbor to the south rather than to fear or misunderstand it.

…and by the way, there are 31 states in Mexico and I’ve been to 5. I intend to significantly increase that number over the next few years.

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7 Responses to "4 Things Americans Get Wrong About Mexico"

By chuckiechan February 5, 2016 - 9:52 am

Very cute article. The problem is the corruption of the government and it’s officials. They are a criminal empire that is causing it’s people to flee the country to look for work.

Since we have ignored our borders we have a heroin epidemic on our hands where we actually care about it – white suburban kids are “testing” heroin because it’s so cheap since the change of government created a truce with the cartels over drug routes into the USA.

I suggest forcing change in Mexico before corruption gets out of hand in the USA! We have enough already, but it’s getting worse. We don’t need the bad influence of lawbreakers waltzing over and living here illegally.

By jeff November 18, 2015 - 11:01 pm

Of course more Mexicans speak English than the other way around, they are coming here.the ones that learn english and live and spend their money here are welcome in my eyes. It’s the ones collecting welfare, not learning english, and especially the ones that work here and live in Mexico like kings and queens that I want gone.I’m blue collar in San diego and I tend to be one of the few English speaking guys on the job.they also ruin Our environment with their unsmogged cars that jampack our freeways causing horrible traffic jams and ruining our air quality

Pretty solid post, and I think you got it right on the head. I am actually Mexican-American (Naturalized) and while I speak Spanish (kind of fluently), English is my primary language. By the way, Mexico also has a “Federal District” like DC (which is Mexico City, independent of any state). I wonder if this is American influence too.

Nice! I lived in Mexico for the last 3 and a half years and it’s nothing like most people assume. 1 of the best things about having live there is being able to educate people about what Mexico’s really like. As a result of me living there several people I know who would never have thought of going to Mexico for the reasons you listed have visited and love it. It’s an amazing, diverse country.

Mexico tourist areas are safe and in fact protected. One of their biggest revenue producers. I am finding that people are becoming more willing to travel to Mexico now and I encourage it. Two of my favorites : Zihuatanejo and Isla Muerjes.